The god of Google

Disclaimer 
I don’t mean for this post to be a sermon, these are only my thoughts. I am passionate about these topics because it is the nexus of two of the most important parts of my life, faith and technology. My views reflect only myself, not any of the organizations that I am affiliated with including Brigham Young University and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The first of the Ten Commandments
The first commandment of the Ten Commandments explains where we should place God in our lives.

This commandment is:

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

(Exodus 20:3)

While the gods that the ancient Israelites would have had above the true God may have been made of wood or stone, the gods that we can currently have above the true God are much more subtle. They surround us everyday, and may be constructed of silicon and bytes.

This is not to say that technology is inherently evil. It is simply a tool, just like how the ancient Israelites used tools composed of wood or stone. The issue at hand is not the object itself, the issue is in how you view and use the object. Do you use the tool, or do you worship it?

“Where you invest your love, you invest your life” (Mumford and Sons- Awake My Soul)

If I may add, “where you invest your time, you invest your love (and your life).” Christ said “whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mark 8:35). I believe that this scripture is telling us less about ‘losing our life’ in the sense of dying for someone else, but rather ‘losing our life’ in the sense of spending our time in the service of others.

I feel that it is essential for all people, religious or not, to audit how they spend their time. Is how we spend our time consistent with what we love, or what we want to accomplish in the world? If it is inconsistent, then there is cause for change.

Which god do you serve?

We can so easily be consumed by the world around us. It is easy to always do what you have always done, but you can only expect to get what you have always got.

Are your actions in line with the ideals and standards that you have? If not, what are you going to do about it?

-Cole